Amy Thomas Brings You All Things Holmes

Main menu

Monthly Archives: December 2016

Book Review: Benedict Cumberbatch, London & Hollywood
I reviewed Lynnette Porter’s original performance biography of Benedict Cumberbatch below. I am re-sharing that review because my thoughts are much the same about this volume. Porter has done meticulous research and created a new volume of her detailed encyclopedia that provides excellent insight into the career of an actor who has become one of the most famous and respected of his generation, all over the world.

Neither book is a tabloid or gossip rag, and Porter does not violate Cumberbatch’s privacy. Both volumes, however, paint a compelling picture of an actor through the career choices he’s made. This volume engagingly shows how Cumberbatch went from rising star to household name.

The book is available here, and see my original review below for a more complete assessment.

When I was a young teenager, I was utterly besotted with Prince William. What can I say? While my friends were eagerly snapping up magazines featuring N’Sync and the Backstreet Boys, I bought a short and fairly abysmal unauthorised biography of the royal heir. I didn’t care; it was something. Thankfully, Benedict Cumberbatch fans of any age no longer have to face the indignity of wasting money on shoddy prose.
Benedict Cumberbatch, In Transition is an exhaustively-annotated and impressively-detailed account of a young actor’s career. Some might ask if now is the time for such a book, releasing arguably nearer the beginning of his acting career than the end; however, the transitional aspect gives the tome much of its interest. Porter purposefully sought to chronicle the rise of an actor who is only just beginning to reach the heights many expect him to continue to scale.

It’s important to note that since the book is unauthorised, the information is gleaned from other sources. The value of such a book is the same as that of a very specific encyclopedia–it presents a host of information that most fans would be unable or unwilling to look up for themselves.

Whether or not Cumberbatch is as successful in the future as the author and many in the media and wider fandom expect, this book will continue to serve as an interesting signpost at the crossroads of a person’s life. Even those who have followed Benedict for some time will likely find new details to savor.

As a frequent user of Tumblr, a photo-heavy social networking site, I know firsthand that plenty of young people are as besotted today with Benedict Cumberbatch as I once was with the future king of England. Lynnette Porter has provided them, and their older counterparts, with a valuable guide to a fascinating career. No abysmal imitations need apply.

The book reviewed above was provided for consideration by MX Publishing. All opinions expressed are the reviewer’s own.